When my father died, those years when he was working on the Hubble came back to me, and it seemed fitting to imagine him as having somehow merged with the large mystery that the universe represents.

I don't know how anyone can see the Hubble 'Deep Field' image and not feel like something else is going about its business out there.

My real father died when I was two years old, so I never knew him. He was a barber in Chicago.

Prior to my father's death, I was having a hard time committing to a career as an artist, but that's not because of who he was - it was because of who I am. It's true, though, that I felt I shouldn't compete with him, and that those feelings went away after he died.

I think humans have always felt watched back by whatever is out there flickering in the distance. What excites me is what the imagination creates, not simply in explanation of what is there but also to explain or justify the feeling of awe and attachment that the heavens inspire.

If Mr. Einstein doesn't like the natural laws of the universe, let him go back to where he came from.